Almond & Oat Granola Bars

Let’s talk granola bars.

Crunchy or chewy?

I love all kinds, but I prefer chewy. Granola bars are such a perfect, quick, compact, portable snack. And I eat them pretty regularly. There may be a few decent store brands out there, but there is nothing like homemade. And these are the BEST, soft, chewy granola bars I have ever tasted (if I do say so, myself!). As a matter of fact, when I first posted these on my previous baking blog, they were featured as a Delicious Link on theKitchn!

Always start with good ingredients. These are made with a flavorful combination of oats, almond meal, cranberries, apricots, almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, dark chocolate chips, and wild berry honey.

These are easy to put together and really hold their shape well.

When I first made these, I was given a free sample of a product I had not tried before. It is Honey Melt Organic; a spread made with a perfect blend of fruit and plant based oils. It looks and performs just like butter, and I use it often now.

These baked like a dream.

Cool them, cut them, wrap them, EAT THEM!

I always seem to have a granola bar on me at all times; in my purse or the glove compartment of my car. I eat them on the fly for breakfast, as a sweet treat with my lunch, as an anytime snack, or crumbled on some ice cream for dessert.

This is a pretty versatile granola bar recipe. So feel free to change up the fruit and nuts. Switch up the chocolate bits. Or omit the coconut if you are not a fan. (But really, how can you NOT be a fan of coconut?) So give these a try, and come back and tell me what you put in your granola bars!

*Fruits and Nuts, etc. (Feel free to use what you like. These are the exact amounts for this recipe. I would not suggest using more than 10-11 ounces combined. Keep the pieces small. The larger the quantity and size, the more likely the bars won't hold together well).

2 ounces of sliced almonds

2 ounces of pumpkin seeds

2 ounces of dried apricots, chopped into small pieces

2 ounces of dried cranberries

2 ounces of shredded coconut (I used sweetened)

1 ounce of mini dark chocolate chips

⅓ cup of almond butter

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

6 Tablespoons of Honey Melt® Organic, melted

¼ of wild berry honey

2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup

1 Tablespoon of water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Line the pan with a rectangular piece of parchment, letting the paper overhang 2 sides to make it easy to lift out when they are done.